Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter made their Bollywood debuts with the 2018 film Dhadak, a project that generated much hype but also faced criticism for casting star kids.
Recently, the film’s director, Shashank Khaitan, opened up about his decision to cast them. Khaitan shared that he had met Ishaan earlier and found Janhvi’s vulnerability to be perfect for the role. He emphasized, “I was not asked by anyone to cast them.”
Dhadak, a remake of the popular Marathi film Sairat, received mixed reactions. The film was criticized for altering the storyline of the original, and some viewers even trolled the performances of the lead pair. Reflectinvg on the backlash, Khaitan said, “In the first week, we were heavily criticized for daring to adapt Sairat. It was confusing because while we were being trolled and criticized, the box office numbers told a different story.”
Despite the criticism, the film performed well at the box office, a significant achievement for a debut-led film. Khaitan admitted that the experience was challenging, especially for Janhvi and Ishaan, but noted that producer Karan Johar remained positive and supportive throughout the process.
Dhadak was a commercial success, and its sequel, Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, has already been announced.